Trump to have dinner with Otto Warmbier's parents: report

[Judi Lynn]

Source: The Hill

BY TAL AXELROD - 09/13/19 09:49 PM EDT

Fred and Cindy Warmbier, the parents of Otto Warmbier, will have dinner at the White House with President Trump and U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell Saturday night, according to CNN.

Otto Warmbier was an American college student who was held in North Korea for over a year on trumped up espionage charges. He was returned to the U.S. in a coma in 2017 and died shortly after.

It was not immediately clear how the dinner was planned or if there would be other attendees.

Grenell, who has been in Washington for the past few days, met with the Warmbier family in Germany in August.



Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/461394-trump-to-have-dinner-with-otto-warmbiers-parents-report

[pbmus]

1. For what reason would you sit down and eat with the Con...?

[RockRaven]

2. Exactly, it is pointless trying to deal with him like a normal person, and spending time with him

must be disgusting in every way. What's the point of it all?

[Scarsdale]

26. Photo ops?

Placating his good friends in N. Korea? One thing I have to say, the students who travel to these countries are warned about breaking laws over there. Why did this young man ignore the rules? I know the punishment did not fit the crime, BUT in a foreign country, watch your P's and Q's. He showed a total lack of respect.

[Perseus]

37. Complete disservice to their son

I cannot believe they would agree to that, unless they are planning to kick him in the balls during dinner. All they are doing is providing a photo-op to the creature.

[atreides1]

42. Well

Maybe it was never about their son...and it's always been about the attention they received! It wouldn't be the first time that parents have used the death of a child for their own agenda!!!

[former9thward]

50. Disgusting post.

Prove it.

[markpkessinger]

46. It was a profound disservice to their son when they declined to have an autopsy performed n/t

[obamanut2012]

52. They LOVED him, and hated Obama

Including denouncing Obama and praising Trump publicly.

[Midnight Writer]

3. Mmmmmm. Cheeseburgers.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

12. And Happy Meals.

I wonder what toy Fat Donnie will insist on? Probably a tank.

What is the purpose of this dinner? To let the grieving parents know that the dictator who tortured their son to death is really a great guy? Clearly not to express sympathy or empathy; neither of those emotions are in IQ45's soul.

Has Melania been invited? Will she wear her 5" stilettos?

God, I've become such a cynic...

[Scarsdale]

27. Will she give them

her ice cold killer signature "look"? She looks so mean.

[Jedi Guy]

35. What's the issue with the 5" stilettos? I don't get it.

There's a shitload of valid criticism that can be leveled at Melania. Her choice in footwear, however, seems like a super petty thing to criticize her about, in my opinion. Her hypocritical "Be Best" campaign would be the prime focus of my criticism. I couldn't give less of a shit about her footwear, be they 5" stilettos, Crocs, or clown shoes.

[maddiemom]

40. You wouldn't think she'd be comfortable..

but I once did know a woman who owned nothing but three inch heels (and "mule' type slippers). She'd worn heels so much that the tendons in her calves (tendons) had shrunk (or something) and she wasn't comfortable in flats, or so she claimed. The once or twice Melania showed up in "tennis shoes," at some disaster area, they were the kind you wouldn't seriously play tennis wearing,,,or walking. And not athletic footwear...and looked straight out of the box. So OK, she's a girly-girl, no big crime But FIVE inchers, not just at special or formal occasions, but ALL the time in public. She's tall, so needn't worry about looking "Mutt and Jeff" with her husband. If you are a GUY, you probably have no idea how uncomfortable "skyscraper" heels can be to the normal woman, who can't wait to kick off even three inchers at the end of a business day. The obligatory high heels for business have been phasing out for a while now, so Melania's chosen footwear seems kind of strange to many women.

[Ilsa]

45. I suspect that her

Spouse requires her to look a certain way in public. I bet it is in their marriage agreement that she has to always look like a trophy wife, and in his opinion, it requires the shoes that give you foot problems later in life.

Assuming I'm correct, I find her lack of control over personal choices to be sickening and disingenuous. But, yes, her actions as flotus are more significant than her apparel.

[3Hotdogs]

25. Yeah, free Micky D's? I'd go.

[flibbitygiblets]

43. Hamberders

WTF are his parents thinking?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. I'm surprised they accepted his invitation.

I don't think I would have. Why would they want to be anywhere near the asshole who's been playing footsie with the despot who killed their son, let alone have dinner with him? Will he serve them soggy hamberders and KFC?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

33. That's pretty cynical. Trump won't give them money anyhow.

He never gives anybody money.

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Unimaginable

The brutality inflicted on their son by Trump's buddy in N. Korea? What can they talk about? What can they accomplish? I don't know why they would accept this invitation.

[riversedge]

8. Trump said he did not hold Kim responsible for Warmbiers death...............and.....

the parents do!!

Wonder if or how things may have changed??

........"Today I introduced Otto Warmbier's mother Cindy to my mom, Judi. Cindy is focused on bringing some justice to her family - and we are ready to help," Grenell wrote in the caption for a photo he posted to Instagram.

Trump said earlier this year after a nuclear summit with North Korea he does not hold leader Kim Jong Un responsible for Warmbier’s death, a remark that sparked bipartisan outrage.

“We have been respectful during this summit process. Now we must speak out. Kim and his evil regime are responsible for the death of our son Otto. Kim and his evil regime are responsible for unimaginable cruelty and inhumanity. No excuses or lavish praise can change that. Thank you,” the Warmbiers said in a statement in response.

[Ohiogal]

6. Unbelievable.

[Freethinker65]

7. Will Trump show them his beautiful letter while Melania explains how she and Kim have become friends

[truthisfreedom]

19. Kardashian?

[Haggis for Breakfast]

9. Wouldn't you just love to hear THAT dinner conversation ?

[yaesu]

10. why torture the family more, haven't they been through enough. nt

[keithbvadu2]

11. The parents are being played.

[markpkessinger]

47. The parents are allowing themselves to be played . . .

. . . They had an opportunity to establish the cause of their son's death with an autopsy. They declined to do so. Their choice.

[area51]

13. I'm surprised they accepted after Donnie threw them under the bus.

[Polybius]

14. They still blame Obama for their son's death

They are Trumpers.

[BigmanPigman]

15. Are you serious?!?

[Polybius]

16. Yup

They have said Obama didn't do enough when he was arrested on January 2, 2016.

[Grokenstein]

18. Sick. n/t

[Jedi Guy]

36. I can understand how grieving parents would feel that way, though it doesn't mean I agree with them.

Naturally they'd want the full court press to get their son back. And while I'm sure Obama wanted to get Otto back, he can hardly go to war over a single person, given all the other factors involved. NK was already buried under a shitload of sanctions, so it wasn't as if there were a ton of options, short of sending in the SEALs or something that would trigger a war, or at least a major diplomatic incident.

But all the geopolitical considerations pale in comparison to the Warmbiers' love and concern for their son. From a rational perspective, it's wrong to blame Obama for what happened, and even more wrong to credit Trump for Otto's return. But from an emotional perspective... like I said, I get it. I don't agree with it, but I get it.

[markpkessinger]

48. But they apparently didn't love their sone enough to agree to an autopsy . . .

. . . which would have established with some degree of certainty the precise cause of their son's death.

[Jedi Guy]

49. I don't think it means they didn't sufficiently love their son.

Clearly he died because of something that happened while he was in the custody of the North Koreans, unless you're going to suggest they were treating him like royalty until he mysteriously dropped into a persistent vegetative state. The precise details aren't really necessary.

[rpannier]

23. Wasn't he the guy that took that poster off the wall

They probably blame Obama for that as well

[Grokenstein]

17. Oh boy! Cold hamberders! And listening to God Emperor Puppet Sharpie

...yammer on and on about how great and strong and brave and popular and handsome he is.

Gotta admit, though, I'd accept such an invitation. To have him within arm's reach, with the good cutlery on the table? Oh hell yes.

[TeamPooka]

20. "You know, many people don't know how nice Kim is. Would you like to meet him? Surprise, I invited

him tonight too, he's right behind you...."

[smirkymonkey]

21. Why would they agree to this?

He worships their son's murderer. It's sick.

[Turbineguy]

22. Emotional blackmail.

Trump will try to use these people.

[JI7]

24. I think he is going to lie to them and claim his ass kissing of Kim Jong Un is part of

some strategy to change things for the better.

[tblue37]

28. He can regale them with charming tales about what a lovable guy his buddy Kim Jong Un is. nt

[no_hypocrisy]

29. And they accepted the invitation?

[tanyev]

30. What is Trump's obsession with having dinner with people he wants to manipulate?

Does the arm-twisting come at the beginning, followed by an uncomfortably awkward meal? Or is the whole meal spent fawning over them, only to get to the point right after dessert? I presume Melania got a "State Dinners ONLY" clause written into her contract.

[Historic NY]

31. He needs them to shut up and they are too gullible....

Grenell will likely try to strong arm them. Why else would Trump have him there? Because the Warmbier's are German....wait..

[MFM008]

38. WTF

First how could you eat and look at the maggot
Second ..his attitude toward the man who killed
Their son.

[IcyPeas]

39. hoping the mother spits her soup out on him

or pukes on him

[milestogo]

41. Or spills the boiling hot soup in a strategic location.

[flibbitygiblets]

44. Aim for the mushroom!

[Sneederbunk]

51. Hard to figure why they would dine with the lover of their child's murderer.